Tears Have Fallen
by Demac
Summary: In a world where men are dominant over women, a female Avatar rises up.  Hated by so many, she discovers herself and her destiny on her journey to save the world from the doom that has finally revealed itself.
1. Introduction

Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Water. Earth. Fire. Air.

Aang lay to rest beside his wife deep within the Southern Air Temple in an area that had been renovated with the specific purpose of housing Aang's body after he passed away. Before Aang had reached the peak of age 30, his second child died at age four of a sickness the doctor's had never seen before. She also lay in a casket beside Aang and Katara's. After she passed away Aang aged quickly. 10 years later his eyes were hazy and smile lines had appeared. 5 years after that his forehead held permanent lines of worry. At age 54, Aang passed away. Katara lived long enough to meet the next Avatar. His name was Cuan, meaning rushing, as in a rushing river. His time was spent doing the same things as Aang had; he had to revive the world. He had to put down rebellions. He had to get everything back to what it should be. Due to Aang and Cuan's efforts, the next Avatar had nothing to do but relax. In fact, the next avatar, Heqi (hee-kai), did nothing but relax. Without the Avatar always on his toes, the world quietly ran itself ragged. Small businesses were being ran into the ground, young children were sent to work long hours, and women had no rights. The leaders of each nation were growing more corrupt. The Avatar, lead to believe the world was intact, had no knowledge of the coming challenges. Instead, he spent his days at home playing Pai Sho with the neighbors.

9 months after Heqi passed away, Kulei looked down at a baby that cried without making noise. "It's a girl," the doctors whispered, knowing the future that awaited could not be good.

A two year old boy hundreds of miles away stared up the stars in the sky, wondering why someone would take away his mommy. Did she do something wrong?

A newborn baby boy cried and screamed, kicking the side of his bed. He had no idea about the future that awaited him. Destiny had made it's mark on the young child.

A 24 year old man looked down at the baby that thrashed around in his crib and frowned. The baby was meant for so much more.

_I have heard the tales a hundred times. The words are etched into my mind. The stories are a part of me. My destiny is to pass the stories on to my children, and my children's children, and my great grand children so that when the time of trouble ends, the stories will remain._

_

* * *

_Author's Note: Just an introduction. Tell me what you think (**:**

Cuan - Rushing  
Heqi - Peace Time, or Time of Peace  
Kulei - Bitter Tears


	2. Home

Kuiyi pulled her hair up into her hands before letting go, the black curls falling to her shoulder blades. She had thick hair that looked like an explosion that went in all directions when she woke up in the mornings. But after she brushed it, it was perfect big curls that fell past her shoulders. She pulled her hair up to the back of her head and tied her curls up with a red ribbon. The curls bounced as she lifted her head to look into the mirror again. Her golden eyes glinted in the candlelight. The room smelled strongly of burning wax due to the many candles that covered the room in tiny, dancing flames. Kuiyi bit her lip as she put on the tiny bit of makeup she wore. Mascara was the only makeup she usually wore. She heard a pitter patter of feet before a young voice called "Yiyi!" From beyond the door to her room. "Shao Lang!" She replied with a smile. Her door burst open to reveal a small boy who must have been about 9 years old. "Yiyi, mommy needs to you."

Kuiyi's mother was a very thin and frail woman who worried too much about her daughter. Kuiyi had never understood why her mother was so protective, or why her mother insisted that she work on her firebending everyday. She had black curly hair like her daughter, but she had dark gray eyes unlike the common gold ones in the Fire Nation. Kuiyi had only met three people who were not family, and they all had golden eyes as well. Shao Lang was always playing with the neighbors and spending time with the kids from the Academy, but Kuiyi spent her days cleaning, cooking, and practicing firebending.

Shao Lang grabbed his older sister's hand and pulled her downstairs, almost falling in his attempt to drag her. Kuiyi straightened up as she seen her mother. Her lips were pressed together in a straight line as she looked up from the dishes in the sink. "Go outside and practice your forms," she said without a single good morning. "You may need to use your bending today." Kuiyi's mother said this every day. But, just as the day before, she never had to use her bending for anything spectacular other than cooking.

She stepped outside into the sun. The rays beat down on her as her brother followed her to the concrete platform. Kuiyi was not allowed to firebend on the grass, so she always practiced on the small concrete platform her mother had made several years back. With a few deep breaths, Kuiyi threw fire into the sky. She spun fire across her fingers and caused flames to burst from her palms into the air. After nearly an hour of bending fire, her mother stepped into the sun. She was pale, and gaining more and more wrinkles everyday. "Kuiyi," her mother whispered. She grew scared instantly as she walked towards her mother. "I want you to know I love you. I love you very much. And that no matter what happens today, I will always love you."

"I love her too," Shao Lang spoke up. "She is my Yiyi." Kuiyi smiled, thankful for the sudden lightened mood. "I love you guys too." Her mother looked away. "Do you trust me?" Kuiyi nodded, before realizing her mother wouldn't have seen it. "Yes," she answered. "Then I need you to obey everything I say today and you need to understand that it is for the better, okay?" Kuiyi swallowed, unable to speak. What was going on?

Her mother led her through the house and out the front door. Their curls bounced together as Kuiyi gave her brother a piggy back ride. Her mother walked slowly down the street, which scared Kuiyi even more. Her mother had always rushed everything, and now it seemed as though she was dreading something. After nearly an hour of walking, they stopped before a large temple. Kuiyi's mother tightened her lips even more as she led her children through the front doors.

The ceiling in the temple was very high, and the tile on the floor was a plain black. The ceiling and the walls were black as well, decorated with flags and banners representing the fire nation. "Kuiyi." A voice rang out. She jumped, nearly dropping her brother as she searched for the source of the voice. She noticed a half circle of people in the other end of the room and began to walk slowly towards them with the demanding nod of her mother. Shao Lang trotted over to his mom, hiding behind her.

Kuiyi stood before them. One man, obviously the one in charge, spoke up again. "Kuiyi, do you know why you are here?"

"No," she replied simply.

"In a normal situation like this, I would run through the steps like we always do when there is a new avatar. Read the scroll like the Sages before us have. But you are a woman."

Kuiyi did not understand what they were saying. It was as if they were speaking another language.

"So instead, we will tell you that you are the Avatar and order you out of our temple. Woman are not welcome here." The man stood up. "We don't want you as our avatar, but that is the way it works. We can't kill you because we are supposed to be pure. We would much rather a man be our Avatar. Women are weak. Mean are strong. You will only mess the world up even more, send us to our doom. Now get out you filthy dog. The Fire Nation will never be loyal to you."

Her mother cried loudly in the corner. Kuiyi did not understand. She was so confused. "What do you mean?" She asked, dumbfounded.

The rest of the men stood up, and the man in charge grinned evilly, as though plotting against her already.

"You are the Avatar."

* * *

Ping ran a hand through his brown hair, smiling at Zhong. She smiled back. "Hi there stranger," she said with a smile. "I haven't seen you around lately." He nodded, his smile getting a little smaller. "I've been spending too much time at the academy, I know." Zhong kept her smile going. "It's fine. I've just missed you, that's all." His smile grew as their eyes locked. "Did you?" She nodded slowly. "I really did." He leaned in slowly, kissing her softly. "I missed you too." He put one hand on her cheek and the other on her neck. In those times, women dated men much older than themselves, or did not date and just got married right away. Usually, a woman of those times married between the ages of 13 and 18. Zhong was very lucky to have found a man who loved her and was also only a year old than her at age 17. He pulled from the kiss and smiled at her, her eyes thankful for every moment with him.

He kissed her once more, not ever wanting to pull away. But of course, at that moment his uncle opened up the door. "Ping?" He asked, watching the couple with a frown. Ping pulled away, his lips lingering close to hers. "What is it?" "Your father wants to see you," he said. Ping smiled. "He can wait." He leaned to kiss Zhong again when his uncle added, "He said it is urgent." Zhong grinned. "Go ahead, I'll be waiting." Ping grinned, kissing her once more before turning away. His uncle grumbled under his breath as they walked away. "I'm pretty sure that the Earth King would rather not wait so that his son can make out with his girlfriend." Ping frowned, ignoring his comment.

He stepped into his father's throne room without a knock. "What is it, father?" He said, letting the doors swing shut behind him. "The Avatar," his father replied with a panicked whisper. "The Avatar. He's... It's a woman!" Ping's mouth formed a small, sarcastic O. "Big deal," he replied. "It is a big deal. You know what you must do." Ping nodded. He had known since he was merely 9 years old. The fire sage who had delivered the message looked at the two suspiciously. "What is it he must do?"

Ping's father got a momentary look of fear in his eyes as though he had been caught at something, but it quickly dissipated. Ping wondered if he had seen it at all. "He must pretend to teach the Avatar earthbending, but he will turn against the child before he... she masters it. The Avatar can not be a woman. We will not allow it." Ping glanced at his father, a look of disappointment in his eyes. His father gave a short shake of his head, almost unnoticed by Ping. The Sage did not notice, but it was all Ping needed to see. "Yes father." The Sage took a step forward, giving Ping a serious look. "If I find that you have failed, you will be punished," the Sage said quietly. Ping gulped down everything in his mouth. "Yes sir." He nodded. "Then go. Pack up your things and search for the Avatar. Surely he... she has gone into hiding by now."

Ping left the room, his heart racing. This was it, his moment of truth. He stepped back into his room, the door clicking shut behind him. "Ping?"

He jumped, almost forgetting Zhong had been waiting on him. He turned towards her, his brown eyes locking with her intensely green eyes. They seemed to shine in the sunlight coming from the window. "I have to go," he whispered. "I have to leave." She frowned. "You told me you weren't going back to the Academy for two months." He shook his head. "The Avatar. It's a woman. And it is my... destiny to take her out." Zhong took on a look of horror. "Ping, you can't!" His eyes began to water as she stood up. "My father is ordering me to."

Zhong threw her arms around his neck, pulling him close to her. "I can't be with you if you are going to kill an innocent woman," she whispered through her tears. "I can't let you. I can't be with a murderer." Ping put his arms around her waist, hugging her tightly. "Zhong, I wish I could tell you I wasn't planning a murder, but I can't tell you that." She pushed him away, taking a step away. "Then this is over. When you come back I will be married. Are you willing to sacrifice your marriage with me, everything we've had over the last four years just to go kill a girl you have never met?" Ping ran a hand through his hair, wanting to throw himself out the window to fall 6 stories to the stone below.

"I have to. If only you knew the whole truth."

* * *

Rennai wiped his brow. His brown hair held bits of gray, a physical sign that he was aging faster than his brother. Ren was only 39, but already his body was growing sore and stiff with his aging body. Bending up the side of the mountain had once been an easy task, but now he began to sweat every time he attempted it, and on certain days when the pain was greatest, he could not make it to the top at all. His half brother, 24 years younger than him could walk up the side of the mountain faster then Ren could bend up the side of the mountain on those days.

Ren had three brothers; he had his older brother, his twin brother, and his half brother. His older brother was 42, while his twin was 4 minutes younger than Ren. His half brother was named Cai. Cai was born to Ren's father's 6th wife. His father was 46 when he married Cai's mother, who at the time was only three years older than Ren, who was 24 at the time. 8 months after their marriage, she gave birth to Cai. 15 years after his birth, Ren was 39, Cai's mother was 42, and his father was 61. Ren's older brother was the same age as Cai's mother. In fact, their birthdays were only 8 days away from one another's.

Rennai had grown wiser over the years, but his half brother was still a young, immature, spoiled teenager. Cai was not a bender. In fact, he was not good at much of anything besides bragging. He was a klutz and often broke things or fell over things. Rennai was nimble and quick. Although his younger brother was often very rude to him, Ren had always been there for him.

Ren's father was a very rich and powerful man in the Air Nation. He did not pay much attention to his children or wives, but they all had a facade of happiness thanks to the thousands of gold coins they spent each week. This of course, excluded Ren. He only borrowed money from his father when it was something he needed. Cai borrowed money whenever he felt he could use more coins in his pocket.

Ren reached the top of the mountain and looked at the giant house that towered above him. That had been his father's house when he was younger. Ren enjoyed gazing at the house and imagining his father as a child. The child he imagined was a manipulative child throwing his temper all the time, but it was still nice to imagine his father being young again.

Ren jumped at the sound of a flapping bird and a burst of air emitted from his palm. The bird squawked and collapsed, unable to breath. Ren pet the bird softly, feeling guilty for murdering such an innocent creature. He cooed softly until it finally passed away. Ren sighed, sad to see death. He untied the letter tied to it's leg and unrolled it. "Dear Rennai," he read. A formal letter from his father, what's new? "The Monk requested my presence in a meeting. Upon arriving, I learned from a Fire Sage that the Avatar has been discovered. Cai is being sent to teach the Avatar airbending, because this is the greatest honor we could have for our family.

"I wish you were more like your half brother. Love, Father." Ren rolled his eyes. Apparently, Cai had lied and told his Father that he could Airbend. How was he supposed to teach Airbending to the Avatar if he himself had not yet created even a breeze? Rennai knew what was coming. He would end up traveling with Cai to teach the Avatar airbending so that his lack of skill would not be revealed to their Father.

As always, Ren would end up being the one to get Cai out of trouble.

* * *

Author's Note: Please Review (:

Kuiyi- Fiery, blazing  
Shao Lang- Young flame  
Ping- Graceful  
Zhong- Follow  
Rennai- Patience  
Cai- Gift


	3. Far Away

Kuiyi stared at her hands. After four days, she was still in shock. She knew they had to be gone within five days. The sages had said that was when they would announce the Avatar's presence in the town, and she also knew the men of the town would hate her after they knew.

"Mom, I'm so confused." She said, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Kuiyi," her mother said firmly. "You are a strong young woman. In fact, you are one of the strongest people I know. You are just as strong as every male I know. Look at what you have to do. Take it one step at a time, and before you know it, you will have gone the whole mile. Your father would be very proud to know that his daughter, the Avatar, is going to restore the world to peace."

Kuiyi did not look up from her feet.

"Mom," she muttered. "I'm so scared." Her mother wrapped her arms around her daughter and pulled her close, the sun hidden behind the rolling clouds. Shao Lang could be heard from within the house, his footsteps echoing throughout the empty house. Kulei knew that after the town learned that the Avatar, a female, resided in their town, their house would become the target of all benders in the area.

"Kuiyi, we need to leave," she whispered after a moment.

"I'm so sorry, mom, I'm so sorry," she replied, sobbing into her mother's arm. The tears soaked into her sweater, turning the orange into a dark red. After a few more moments of holding her daughter, she stood up, pulling her daughter up as well.

"I will pack me and Shao Lang's things. Pack up your most prized possessions; quickly, for I'm sure we do not have much time."

Kuiyi let her tears streak down her face as she folded her clothes. She piled them neatly into a small bag that would fit just what she needed and no more. She took some food and set them on top of her clothes. Last but not least, she wrapped her Father's knife in a thin piece of sheet she ripped from her bed sheet's. She took a small bed-roll out to the front yard and set it with her bag. She marched back into the house, wiping her tears roughly.

"Mom?" She called into the house.

"Yes?" Kulei answered.

"Are you ready to leave?" No response came. Kuiyi sniffed, waiting for an answer that didn't come. "Mom?"

"I'm in the kitchen," came a voice that didn't quite sound like that of her mother's.

"Are you okay?" She asked, slightly worried.

"Come here, Kuiyi," came the voice again. She bit her lip, wondering if she should. After a moment's hesitation, she entered the room. There stood her mother, with three rather vicious looking men standing around her. "Kuiyi?" said the voice she had heard earlier. Her mother had rope between her teeth that wrapped around her head, leading Kuiyi to realize the voice was that of the man standing closest to Kuiyi. Her ankles were swollen; clearly they were broken so she could not run away.

"What do you want?" She growled, dropping into a defensive mode. They all three grinned evilly before they pulled their hands back and unleashed more fire than Kuiyi had ever seen.

To Kuiyi's relief, they were not launching the fire at her mother, but at the walls of the house. The men snickered and darted from the house, their feet clicking against the squeaky floor. Kuiyi quickly untied her mother, panicking as the fire neared their feet. She finally untied her mother and dragged her to the front yard. "Mom, are you okay?" She asked, before she realized she had not untied the rope around her mother's head yet. The rope fell from her mouth and she immediately let words slip from her mouth in a horrifying wail.

"Your brother is upstairs!"

* * *

Ping took a bite out of the rather small rabbit-wolf leg he had cooked. It had taken him what seemed like forever to finally catch something, but he was grateful for the little bit of meat to fill his stomach. After finishing the meal he wiped his mouth on his sleeve and tossed the bone into the bushes. He stomped the fire out and picked his bag up once more. After a moment's hesitation, he stepped past the bushes once more. The woods sped past him as he ran through the trees as fast as he could. He knew he had wasted time by stopping to eat and that he needed to reach the Avatar's town as fast as possible. He knew he was still very far from her home, but after only a few days he was within 5 miles away.

Within an hour, he stood before the large town of New Ozai. The towering buildings and red clothed people were new to him. He quickly realized his green clothes would draw too much attention. He walked into the nearest store and scanned the shelves. He quickly found an outfit he liked, despite the red color and scratchy texture, and put it on. The red gauchos were a little too big, and the shirt was a little too small, but he was lucky to find something in his size and price range. His muscular chest bulged in the shirt, and his small feet looked strange in their new shoes, but over all he looked presentable.

He walked down the street, wondering how the Earth Prince would ever find the Avatar in such a large town. Before long, he smelled smoke. He rounded the corner to reveal a burning house. He dropped his bag and ran up to the woman standing outside.

"Please!" She cried. "My daughter and my son are in there!" Ping did not hesitate before darting through the front door. The wood beneath him squeaked as he called out. "Hello?" He yelled into the flames. He darted up the stairs, jumping over flames until he reached the top. "Hello?" He called out. Suddenly, a door flung open to reveal a girl a little younger than he dragging a chair with a boy tied to it. She didn't even look at Ping as she dragged the chair down the stairwell. He tried to help, but she merely shoved him away from the younger boy. "I got it!" she screamed, roughly pulling the chair down the stairway.

"You put out the flames, I got your brother!" He cried, assuming she could bend fire. She hesitated before beginning to bend the fire away from them. She bent the fire with a talent Ping had never seen before. The flames obeyed her every whim, disappearing slowly. They stumbled into the grass before falling, the flames that had attached to them being snuffed into the grass. They looked at one another and smiled.

"And I don't even know your name," she said.

"Ping," he said with a grin. "And yours?"

"Kuiyi," she replied. "And I could have done that on my own."

He shrugged his apology, although it was clear she was thankful for his help.

Her mother, only a few feet away, grinned as well. "Thank you Ping. You saved my daughter's life."

He shrugged once more. "No big deal. But I must be on my way. I have things to do." He looked down at the boy, untying him before turning to pick up his bag.

"Wait, where are you going?" Kuiyi called after him. He turned around slowly.

"I need to find somebody."

"Who?" She asked.

"Nevermind that. Sorry about your house," he said, motioning toward the house. Smoke was rising into the sky, but the flames were out.

"We were leaving anyways," she said, not caring about the house that was slowly turning to ash.

"Why?" He asked, trying not to be rude.

Kuiyi didn't answer. Instead, she looked to her mother who nodded before Kuiyi replied.

"I'm the Avatar."

Ping's jaw dropped to his new, uncomfortable shoes.

"You are who I was looking for!" He said, quickly gathering himself. "I was sent by my father to teach you Earthbending!"

Kuiyi's face lit up, despite the ashes that were smeared across her face from the smoke in the house.

* * *

Ren sat across the table from his half brother, who sat between his parents.

"Rennai." His father said with a nod.

"Yes father?" He looked into his father's eyes, fixing the collar of his poncho. The yellow, red, and white poncho looked nice hanging from his shoulders.

"Our son is a very talented, but young, air-bender," he said with a proud look in his eyes. "I want him to bring honor to our family by teaching the Avatar our style of bending. He has the skill, but he is too young to travel alone. Me and my wives must stay here to keep order with the business, but you are of age. You also have no job, wife, kids, or life. Therefor, you have been giving the task of traveling with my son to help him fulfill his destiny."

Rennai did not reply.

Cai gave him a pleading look. He was well aware of the fact that his half brother knew of is dirty little lie. Ren cared for his brother, but not his attitude. Then again, they were family.

"I will travel with him."

Cai grinned, as did his father.

"You are the greatest honor of this family," he said proudly to Cai. Cai did not even glance at Ren as he thanked him. "You will leave first thing in the morning."

True to his words, the next morning Cai and Ren stood on the front steps leading to their mansion, their bags in their hands. "Goodbye, son," their Father said, kissing Cai on the forehead. "Do not disappoint our family."

"I will not," he replied, smiling as he lied through his teeth.

"Rennai," he said, with a nod of his head. He nodded back, lifting his bags.

"Let's go, Cai." The brothers gave their father and mothers their last goodbyes before walking from the house. The tiger-horses awaited them on the walkway. Rennai strapped his only bag onto the side of the beast. Cai spent several minutes tying his bags on. All 7 bags. "Cai," he said with a frown. "We are never going to get to the Avatar while weighed down by so many bags."

The boy smirked. "Well duh. But don't worry. These six bags are food, so they'll be gone before long."

"Cai, the food will go bad before we can eat it all."

"No they won't!" He insisted.

"Did you salt the meat?" Ren questioned.

"Why would I do that?"

The elder brother sighed. "The meat will be covered in bugs by morning."

Cai rolled his eyes. "No it won't." Rennai shrugged. When they stopped to rest that night, he slept almost 30 feet from Cai. "I want nowhere near your bags when the bugs come for your food," he said.

Ironically, the next morning Cai woke up to find that his bags were covered in maggots.

* * *

Author's Note: Please Review (:


	4. The Woods

Cai tossed the six bags of ruined meat into the bushed and climbed onto the tiger horse that huffed in the heat. "Why is it so hot?" He complained to his older brother. To Cai, Rennai was just just an old man. He wasn't so much an older brother as he was an uncle. Their relationship could hardly even be considered that. Rennai was always there for Cai, but he was never too open with his older brother. His brother was a bender, but their father was clear that Rennai was a disgrace, and that Cai was the favored child. Rennai had never really cared; in fact, he understood. Rennai's mother was very ill and lay in bed all day by herself, with only Rennai as occasionally company. On the other hand, Cai's mother followed their father around and catered to his every whim. She was the wife who shared a bed with their father and sat beside their father at the dinner table. Ren's mother slept alone and ate beside another of his wives named Cennaye, who was the least favored of the wives because she was unable to bear children. Neither wife sat near their husband. In fact, the sons of his sat closer to the end of the table where Cai's mother and father sat.

Cai was not proud to say his step mother Cennaye could not bear children. He was proud, a perfect son. He deserved the best, and he deserved the attention; he received both. When anything was slightly less then what he wanted, he had mastered the ways of throwing his temper until he got what he wanted.

"Rennai," he whined, drawing out the end of his name. "It's too hot here. It's hotter than the Air Temples; let's just go back." The Air Temples were actually quite chilly due to the altitude.

He saw Ren take several long breaths with his eyes closed as his tiger-horse trotted beneath him. "Would father be proud of you if I let you turn back?"

Cai thought for a moment. "He wouldn't care if we went back."

"Cai," he said calmly. "Don't be foolish. This is your destiny (more or less), and you can not just turn back at any moment. You must work hard to reap your rewards."

"What does reap mean?" Cai asked.

Rennai took a deep breath. "Nevermind."

Cai looked out across the fields of banana beans and huffed as the tiger-horses had. "I still wish it wasn't so hot."

"I do as well, young brother." Cai glanced over at him before looking back to the field. Little gray butterflies hopping from blooming flower to blooming flower, sipping the banana bean sap from each of them. Each time a butterfly landed, a puff of pollen rose into the air, disappearing after only a few seconds.

"How much further?" Cai asked suddenly, breaking the quiet.

"Only a few more days," Ren replied.

* * *

Ping pushed the money across the counter. "Will that be enough?" The man counted out the coins before nodding. He tossed a key to the younger boy and turned back to his painting. The man obviously did not get much business and instead did other things while he worked. Ping turned on his heel and lead the way up the hallway to a room at the end of the hall.

"Here you guys are," he said, handing the key to Kulei. He turned around and began to walk away when Kuiyi grabbed his arm.

"Where are you going?" she said, not letting go.

"To pay for another room," he answered, as though it was obvious.

Kulei shook her head. "We refuse to let you pay for our room. We're bunking together."

The way she worded it made Ping wonder if she was joking, but after a moment he realized how serious she was being. He stepped into the room and plopped his bag down onto the floor. Kuiyi set her bags next to the bed she would be sharing with her brother. Kuiyi helped Ping set up a small mattress and the blanket from her bed on the floor.

After nearly an hour, the group lay to rest in their respective places. The family fell asleep quickly, but Ping lay on the small bed they had made for him while thinking. Surely Zhong had told her father by now that Ping had left and was not willing to marry her. Earth Kingdom marriages happened quickly; her father had probably already chosen a suitable fiance for her. They would be married within a month, and when Ping got done with his mission he would be alone and single for several more years until he was forced to marry a girl he probably babysat when he was a teenager. That was the way it worked there.

Ping loved Zhong. He loved her with his whole heart. She was his everything. He knew that she had already waited four years for him to propose, but he couldn't understand why she wouldn't wait one more. His last thought before he fell asleep was how much he wished she was traveling with him.

His first thought he next morning was how much he loved her. Then he opened his eyes to realize a young boy was breathing in his face. He jumped slightly before recognizing him as Kuiyi's little brother. "Good morning!" He screamed. Ping sat up and yawned silently. He looked around the room to realize that every bag had been sat neatly on Kulei's bed. Kuiyi smiled at him and handed him his bag as Shao Lang climbed up onto her leg.

"We should get going before they find us," he said, watching the young boy hanging from her leg as she tried to pull him off. "We should get as far away from the Fire Nation as we can."

Kuiyi nodded at him, turning towards her mother. She shrugged looking back at Ping. "I think that's a good idea."

Before long, Ping and the family were walking through the woods with their bags on their shoulders. With every step through the woods, it reminded Ping of the first two year of his and Zhong's relationship; her father had hated him. Every day the two young teens would trek through the woods to each other. When they heard the river rushing, they knew they were close. When they had first met accidentally by the river when they were 12 and 13, Ping had made a small bridge for them to walk across to each other. He had fallen in love with her that day.

They met there every day. They would sit on the bridge with their bare feet dangling in the water, or they'd take a walk through the willow trees. After 3 months of their daily meetings, they had their first kiss. That was the she fell in love with him. That day, she took Ping to meet her father. Ping, so nervous to meet him, ended up tripping down the stairs and tearing up a priceless painting by her great great great grandfather. Her father then forbid him to come back to the house.

That did not stop the couple from meeting every day by the river. 2 years after their first kiss and the day he met her father, she took him back home. When her father saw him, he grew angry at first. But after a few minutes of anger, he realized how much they must love each other to hide their relationship for two years. Ping and her father were very close after that, and they had no need for the bridge. Ping didn't visit the river any more, and neither did Zhong, for it reminded them of a time when they were struggling to stay together.

They were happily together for 4 whole years when Ping left. He felt so guilty, so heartbroken, so disgusting. It was his fault, after all, that after 4 years of strong love, she would be married within the next 4 weeks. Now, not only did his feet hurt from walking, but his heart hurt as well.

Kuiyi hiked her bag up higher on her shoulders and glanced over at Ping. He looked very sad. He almost looked angry. "Ping?" She said quietly. He looked at her as though he had just woken up.

"What?" He asked.

"What's wrong?"

"I just miss my father," he lied. "That's all."

She looked at him for a moment. She knew he was not telling the truth, but she ignored it.

He obviously had a story behind him that he did not feel like sharing.


	5. Through the Woods and Into a Hotel

Cai yawned, leaning his body against the tree. "I can't go any further," he whined. "My body aches. I'm tired. I'm hungry. I'm bored. I don't deserve this!"

Rennai ignored him as he tied the animals to the tree. "Her house is right up the road from here." They started walking, the beat of their footsteps not nearly as fast as the rhythm of Cai's complaints.

"My feet hurt. It's hot. I wanna go home. I need some pork-sausage."

After a few hundred feet of walking, the Avatar's previous house came into view. Or at least what was left of it. The whole house had been burned to the ground. Nothing but the few ashes the Smoke-Buzzards hadn't devoured were left.

"Well great! Just great. Now what?" Cai ordered, stomping the ground.

Rennai sifted his hand through the ashes for a moment, Smoke-Buzzards spreading their feathery wings to scurry away. "Now we wait. Soon there will be news as to where the Avatar has gone; almost everyone in every Nation knows what she looks like and who she is. There will be news. Don't worry." He gave Cai a small smile.

He stomped once more. "Then you better rent a good room in a nice hotel. And buy me some food."

Ren rolled his eyes. "Fine. But do not unpack. When we first hear news about the Avatar, we have to leave at that moment."

Cai nodded. They went back to the animals and untied them. They climbed aboard and rode in silence till they reached the next big town. Rennai paid the stablemen to keep their Tiger-Horses. He then went back to the hotel in front of the stables and walked up to the receptionists.

"One room please. With a view. And two beds." The woman handed him a key.

"25 gold. Fire Nation only."

He dropped the coins into her palm. She pointed down the hallway to her right. Pictures of old men in golden frames lined the walls. "4th one on the right."

Cai followed Rennai, marveling at the soft carpet under his feet. Even the walls were nice! At last, the boys were inside their rooms. It was larger than they thought it would be. Cai dropped his bag at the end of the bed by the window, and Rennai set his by the other. Cai looked out the window to reveal the sunrise. "Sleep," Rennai said. "I will wake you in three hours for breakfast. Get your rest; you must be sore from walking. I will get you some Pork-Sausage."

* * *

After walking half a mile, the group stopped and sat in the grass. It reminded Kuiyi of when her father used to take her fishing. It reminded Ping of the picnics him and Zhong used to have by the river.

Shao Lang plopped onto the floor and immediately began to munch on the bread and salami they had purchased for breakfast at the small town's market. The bread was a little hard and old, but they were satisfied. Kuiyi took two slices of bread and 4 slices of salami and crammed it together to resemble a sandwich. She took a bite, relishing the taste. Ping took one slice of bread and one slice of salami; he folded it in half to resemble a taco.

Kulei took her first bite and skimmed her eyes over the group. "What's wrong?" her daughter asked.

"Nothing," she replied.

"Tell me!" Kuiyi insisted.

"Nothing," her mother said forcefully.

Kuiyi said nothing more, afraid of infuriating her mother.

They ate in silence. When the bread and salami was halfway gone, her mother rolled up the end of the bag and put it into her backpack. She stood up and brushed the crumbs from her skirt. "Kuiyi," she said calmly. "May I speak to you?"

She looked concerned as she climbed up from the grass, brushed off the crumbs, and followed her away from the boys. When the two stood under a low hanging Pine Tree, Kulei leaned against it. "Mom?" Kuiyi asked.

"Kuiyi," she said quietly. "I'm sorry. I don't want to leave you, but my bones are too old and your brother's are too young. We can't journey much farther with you. When we reach the Southern Air Temple, I will leave you and Ping there and me and your brother will travel North to the Fire Nation. We will buy a small house in Cangdanyu."

Kuiyi's eyes fell to the ground. She was surprised to find that no tears came. "Mom," she said quietly. "I am going to miss you a lot."

She smiled. "I know. I'll miss you too. But I know you will be safe traveling with Ping. He is a good kid." Kuiyi nodded.

Kulei pulled her into a tight hug. "We still have many miles together, don't worry."

* * *

Ping rubbed his hands together. The sun had still not risen fully, and under the trees the sun was completely hidden. They sat in shade. Shao Lang yawned. "Are you sleepy?" Ping asked, trying to start a conversation. Constricted to the palace, he rarely ever talked to kids. When he did, it was his evil cousins. He wasn't used to talking with kids.

"I'm very sleepy," Shao Lang answered.

Ping hesitated. "Cool," he said, unsure what to say. Shao Lang gave him a strange look for a second and then looked away awkwardly.

"So," Ping said. "What did the fork say to the spoon?"

Shao Lang shook his head.

"Nothing, forks don't talk!" Ping laughed a little, until he realized Shao Lang was giving him another awkward look. "Do you get it?" He asked. "Forks can't say-"

"Yeah," Shao Lang interrupted. "I get it."

The awkward silence between them was as thick as syrup until the two women walked back into the group. Ping let out a sigh of relief.

"Ping, Shao Lang," Kulei said. "Me and Shao Lang are leaving for Cangdanyu when we reach the Southern Air Temple. It is nearly 100 miles away, so in less than 2 weeks you will be on your own."

Ping frowned. "How do you expect us to travel..." he paused and did mental math for a moment. "25 miles a day?"

Kulei smiled. "In about 2 miles we'll come across a city where I will buy 3 Lion-Moles. We will travel fast, possibly more than 25 miles a day. Horse-Moles are the fastest creatures alive."

Ping nodded. Kuiyi grinned. Shao Lang began to chant about wanting one for a pet.


	6. Through the Woods, Through the Towns

When the meal was cleaned up, wrapped up, and put inside paper bags, the troop left and continued on their way. Kuiyi was determined to become better friends with Ping by the time they reached the next town.

"Ping?" She said a bit quiet.

"Yes ma'am," he answered with a small smile.

"What are you always thinking about?"

"What do you mean?"

She hesitated. "You always look like you are thinking real hard about something."

He shrugged. "I'm not really thinking about anything except my mission."

"Which is?"

"To teach you Earthbending," he replied, as though it were obvious. "I left my home in search for you and your family so that I might help you in your journey to mastering the Avatar State." A sting of guilt rushed through him as he remembered his words to Zhong.

Kuiyi glanced at him. "I think that you thinking about something else, and you just don't want to tell me."

Ping knew this was true. All he ever thought about was Zhong. "No," he lied easily. "Nothing else." He saw her glance at him awkwardly from his peripheral vision. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing," she replied. "I just wish you would tell me."

He grinned. "Quite the pushy young thing, aren't you?" She giggled softly.

"You could say that," she said before the trees began to rustle in the wind.

She hiked her bag up on her shoulders. "I'm not trying to be rude or anything," she added, "I just wish you could trust me enough to tell me."

_I see, _he thought. _ She is trying to guilt me into telling her. Well, two can play this game._

"I do!" He said. "I just wished you were nice enough to let me keep my thoughts to myself."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Whatever," she replied, but said nothing more about it.

After a few minutes in silence, Ping sighed.

"Her name was Zhong," he began. A strange feeling pulsed through him as he continued to talk. "She was beautiful, and wise, and made to be a leader. She was good with people and always cheered me up. She had the ability to speak to great numbers of people, but the way our world is she was unable to. She was both book smart and street smart and had logic beyond compare. She had this... aura that just made everyone happy. There was no way anyone could be sad when they were with her.

"She had long hair. It was perfectly straight and blond. I've never met anyone else from the Earth Kingdom with blond hair. She had the brightest green eyes... they were amazing. She was amazing. She was my world. I would have given her the world. I would have given her anything. She deserved anything...

"I didn't deserve her. I promised her I'd never leave her and then I up and left to come train you. Believe me; it's not your fault at all. I chose to leave of my own will. I broke my promise with her. She told me she was going to marry while I'm gone and that I wouldn't get a 2nd chance.

"I'll never forgive myself."

Kuiyi so badly wished to say 'YOU IDIOT! WHY DIDN'T YOU STAY WITH HER!' but she knew that wasn't what he needed. "The bonds of love is strong. I'm sure it will work out for the best."

He gave her a sad smile. "I sure hope so."

* * *

Cai woke up to the smell of pork-sausage. He yawned, sitting up in his bed. "Give me some," he ordered. Rennai sighed and handed him a plate. He began to inhale the food.

"Slowly, brother," he said. "Enjoy it; you might not get anymore for quite some time."

Cai ignored him and continued to scarf it down. When he finished he demanded eggs. Rennai gave him some and then also gave him bread with butter. Ren had a banana.

They spent the day looking for news as to where the Avatar could be, but after a few helpless hours they gathered their bags and left. Ren was sure they were headed somewhere where they could master an art of bending besides fire, so they began their journey towards the Earth Kingdom. Hopefully that was their first destination.

After 2 hours of walking, they stopped at a small cafe in New Jou. Cai ate everything he could fit in his stomach; when they left, Cai was heavier and their money bags were considerably lighter.

After 4 more hours of walking, they stopped in a town smaller than New Jou. Rennai rented out the best hotel room there was, but Cai was not satisfied, so Ren was forced to hear him complain until they fell asleep, and then forced to listen to it as soon as they woke up.

"We better stay somewhere nicer tonight," he whined. Ren ignored him, as usual

* * *

Author's Note: Awww, Piiiiiiiiing!(:


End file.
